The Nagorno Karabakh Truce

The Nagorno Karabakh Truce is a tripartite peace treaty signed by Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, aiming to end war over the disputed Nagorno Karabakh enclave. This agreement was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, as this deal took effect on Tuesday.

A wave of peace is expected to follow this treaty and the fighting and conflict is expected to stop. Negotiations include Azerbaijan keeping the areas of Nagorno Karabakh under control, and Armenia to withdraw troops from adjacent areas. Also Russian peacekeepers are to be deployed in the area to maintain stability and peace. Over 1,960 peacekeepers have already arrived and are to guard the Lachin Corridor. This corridor links the Azerbaijani capital to Armenia. This peace process will also include the exchange of war prisoners and all economic and transport contacts are to be unblocked.

Yet, not everyone is happy. This treaty is being perceived by the international community as Azerbaijani victory. As Armenians felt the despair of losing their land and soldiers, massive protests broke out all over Armenia as they didn’t agree with the Prime Minister’s decision to sign the agreement. Protesters broke into the Parliament and are alleged to have beaten up the speaker and looted the Prime Minister's office.

However, a complete disparate scene was witnessed in Azerbaijan. Surging crowds could be seen surrounding Martyrs' Alley - a memorial to Azerbaijan's fallen soldiers. Sounds of the chants and national anthem echoed throughout the country as celebrations erupted all over.

This territorial dispute resurged a few months back over a region internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, but is populated by ethnic Armenians. The violence which followed is the worst since the 1994 war and hundreds have lost their lives.

Despite the conflict and violence in the region we mustn’t lose hope and look forward to a better future.

“Violence is a disease. You don’t stop it by spreading it to more people,”